1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of exit signs and, more particularly, to a combination exit sign and emergency light incorporating an elongated light bar housing a series of LEDs.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Exit signs are commonly found in essentially all commercial buildings in general, the purpose of an exit sign is to direct a person's attention to the location of a suitable building exit. To achieve this function, it is known to provide exit signs along corridors in order to lead one to an exit, as well as directly adjacent the exit itself. Typically, such exit signs are mounted on surrounding walls or suspended from a ceiling. In any case, exit signs mark the way for people leaving a building.
In the event of an emergency, such as a building fire, exit signs can play a crucial role in enabling people to safely leave the building in a timely manner. Typically, an audible fire alarm is sounded as an initial indicator of the presence for possibility of a fire. In addition, strobe lights are also often used as visual indicators in such emergency situations, especially in large scale commercial buildings such as hotels, hospitals, convention centers, large office buildings and the like. Furthermore, it is known in the art to provide auxiliary lighting on the housing of an exit sign in order to illuminate the area leading to and around the exit. In accordance with the prior art, such lighting can either be fixed in a certain position relative to the housing of the exit sign or permitted to be adjusted to some limited extent.
Regardless of the existence of combination exit signs with emergency lighting, there is still considered to exist a need in the art for an exit sign incorporating an emergency light fixture arrangement which exhibits high energy efficiency and is compact in construction, yet still provides an effectively directed source of illumination in the event of an emergency.